We sat in on a lecture at Bogazici University with the Term in Middle East group. I used a squatter for the first time… ><

During lunch break:Istanbul playground

Lunch caused me 1.50 Liar.

Lunch view!

Stray cats EVERYWHERE!!!!

Workout!

The ride to the university was really crowded! It caused us 3TL for one tram token and 2TL for the bus card (missing free transportation in Geneva!!). On the way back, our group was loud so a Turkish woman clapped her hands really loud then started to yell in Turkish. She ended with, “SHUT UP!"

…Don’t know what to say about that. Someone said that people tend to be more quite on the bus rides.

Baklava

This is where we had dinner (stuffed eggplant that I paid 10 TL; everything else was free :D). We walked by and a random mother asked us if we were Malaysians. We told her we were Americans, so she introduced us to her son, Mike, who is also Americans. After chatting with him, the shop owner convinced us to eat in his shop by offering to only charge us $5 for the main entree. We agreed and ate there. He offered us roof sitting and introduced us to the waiters as ‘Angels from Paradise.’ It was REALLY AWKWARD, haha, but a really great experience.

A lot of people greet us with konichiwa or ni hao or ask us if we’re Chinese or Japanese. I just tell them I’m American, and they will point to their eyes suggesting that I don’t look American. Then I tell them that I’m Hmong American, and they get super confused. HAHA, my intention!

Later that night we had the opportunity to watch a Mevlevi Sema Ceremony. We couldn’t take pictures during the performance so below is all I have.

Hanging out on the roof while the rest of the group went to Taksim Square, exhausted and drained!